2020 Democratic primary set to intensify

January 14, 2019 at 4:58 AM CST - Updated January 14 at 4:24 PM

(AP) — After months of speculation and secrecy, the 2020 presidential primary season is about to explode.

With several Democrats already in the race, a half dozen more are locking down final travel, staffing and strategy to launch White House bids in the coming weeks. While plans may change, the announcements are expected to come in waves, the first featuring a group of ambitious Senate Democrats including New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, California Sen. Kamala Harris and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, who face pressure to join the race after Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren's entrance two weeks ago.

The second wave will likely feature political heavyweights like former Vice President Joe Biden, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg and former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke, whose advisers believe they have sufficient financial backing and name recognition to join the crowded field on their terms later in the first quarter should they decide to run.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, addresses the crowd at an organizing event at McCoy's Bar Patio and Grill in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Friday, Jan. 4, 2019. Warren is making her first visit to Iowa this weekend as a likely presidential candidate, testing how her brand of fiery liberalism plays in the nation's premier caucus state. (AP)

"It is really starting to heat up," said Deidre DeJear, who lost her bid for Iowa secretary of state last fall, but remains an influential figure in the state's first-in-the-nation Democratic primary. She was among a group of Iowa Democratic women who sat down with Warren last week in suburban Des Moines.

"I feel like Warren put people in a place as if to say 'come on, step up,'" DeJear said in a subsequent interview. "If you're in it, you're in it. No reason to wait now."

Interviews with senior aides for several top Democratic prospects, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning, indicate the waiting game is almost over.

Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, who left office last week, added foreign policy adviser Jeremy Rosner, finance director Dan Sorenson and a senior communications adviser Marie Logsden to his political action committee in recent days, according to an aide. Hickenlooper is traveling to Los Angeles this week to meet with donors and has scheduled visits to early voting states later in the month.

The 66-year-old term-limited governor and former businessman, who remains largely unknown to many primary voters, does not plan to launch his campaign before March.

In this Monday, Dec. 3, 2018, file photograph, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper talks about his two terms as the chief executive of Colorado in his office in the State Capitol in Denver. Hickenlooper and his allies are taking new steps toward launching a presidential campaign, including interviews with dozens of potential staffers and hiring a pollster and national fundraiser, according to a person close to the Democrat. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) (AP)

Sanders, the lone 2020 prospect who ran in 2016, has interviewed close to 20 people to fill senior positions such as campaign manager and directors of policy, communications and his field program. A senior aide said the hiring process has been particularly focused on adding diversity — in both gender and race — that didn't exist in his last presidential campaign.

The aide said allegations of sexual harassment between Sanders' former campaign staff had no impact on the timeline of an announcement, which is not expected before the end of the month. Despite his challenges, Sanders is sitting on a war chest of roughly $15 million and an active nationwide network. In a show of early force, liberal activists hosted hundreds of house parties across the nation on Saturday to cheer on a second Sanders run.

In this Nov. 27, 2018, photo, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks about his new book, 'Where We Go From Here: Two Years in the Resistance' in Washington. A year defined by the political power of women is ending with men enjoying much of the attention. Outgoing Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders have emerged as early favorites in the opening phase of the 2020 campaign. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, file) (AP)

Meanwhile, O'Rourke, 46, is taking steps toward a run, but an aide said he's not expected to announce until next month at the earliest. However, he's traveling outside Texas to introduce himself to voters in the coming weeks. Oprah is scheduled to interview him in New York City next month.

The first states on the primary calendar are not on O'Rourke's immediate itinerary, but that's not stopping supporters in Iowa and South Carolina from launching draft efforts. A leader of South Carolina's "Draft Beto" movement, former Democratic National Committee member Boyd Brown, said he's having conversations with Democratic donors, local officials and potential staffers, to help stave off commitments to other candidates as the field starts to take shape.

In this Nov. 6, 2018, file photo, Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-Texas, the 2018 Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas, makes his concession speech at his election night party in El Paso, Texas. If the Democratic 2020 presidential field is waiting on pins and needles for O’Rourke to decide if he wants to run, it could be a long wait. The outgoing Texas congressman’s team says he has no timeline for deciding if he’d like to try to oust President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) (AP)

"We might be taking a shot in the dark, but we're building an apparatus that we can hand off to an actual campaign should he run," Brown said in an interview. "We're treating this like a presidential campaign until told otherwise."

A more seasoned political star, Biden remains silent about his plans. The 76-year-old Democrat has done little to build teams on the ground in key states, instead sticking to the schedule of huddling with aides while he moves closer to a decision.

While it may seem early, the sheer size of the likely field makes it difficult for some candidates to wait much longer. Upward of two dozen high-profile Democrats could run for a chance to deny President Donald Trump a second term.

In this Dec. 13, 2018, file photo, former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. A year defined by the political power of women is ending with men enjoying much of the attention. Outgoing Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders have emerged as early favorites in the opening phase of the 2020 campaign. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, file) (AP)

The first Democratic primary debate will take place in June, while the first primary contest is likely a year away. With a field this big, there's only so many donors and top staffers to go around.

"At this point the cycle, it's a race for money and talent, and unless your name is Joe Biden or Beto O'Rourke, you've gotta get in soon if you want attract either one of those things," said former Obama strategist Stephanie Cutter, who has been offering advice to some contenders.

Gillibrand, 52, joins some of her Senate colleagues on a more aggressive timeline. She's already identified a likely location for a campaign headquarters, added staff and planned trips to key states.

The Democratic senator is eying a headquarters in Troy, New York, a small upstate city on the Hudson River. Gillibrand, who has made headlines with her work against sexual violence — and occasional profanity in public speeches — is scheduled to make her Iowa debut next weekend.

Booker is expected to run his campaign from Newark, where he lives and served as mayor. The 49-year-old Democrat has identified a likely campaign manager, Addisu Demissee. The Democratic operative previously managed Booker's special election campaign in 2013 and subsequently worked for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and most recently led California Gov. Gavin Newsome's successful gubernatorial bid.

Like Gillibrand and Booker, Harris is expected to join the race in the coming weeks.

The first-term senator and former California attorney general has broadened her national profile in recent days by launching a tour to promote her book, "The Truths We Hold." Like her would-be competitors, the 54-year-old Democrat has not publicly committed to running, but she has said repeatedly that the country needs a leader who "provides a vision of the future of the country in which everyone can see themselves."

A handful of lesser-known candidates have already entered the race.

Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, 37, announced her intention to run in a CNN interview that aired on Saturday. That same day, former Obama housing chief Julian Castro formally kicked off his campaign Saturday in his San Antonio hometown.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, has announced plans to run for president. (Image: Hawaii News Now)

Not to be forgotten, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar are openly considering joining the 2020 contest, although neither is as far along in preparations as their potential rivals.

Meanwhile, Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee is scheduled to make his first New Hampshire appearance next week. He talked up his liberal record and willingness to take on Trump during a weekend appearance in Nevada.

"He cannot stop us," Inslee said of the president. "He has not stopped me, either."

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Peoples reported from New York.

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AP writers Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa; Will Weissert in Austin, Texas; Bill Barrow in Atlanta; and Elana Schor and Juana Summers in Washington contributed to this report.

The flood threat in the South will be discussed Thursday, when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration releases its 2019 spring outlook. Experts plan a briefing on their flood forecast at the National Water Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.